Polish Ambassador Barbara Tuge-Ericinska. Picture: DAVID FERGUSON (01100064)

POLISH people deserve praise for embracing their European neighbours since joining the EU, a visiting Ambassador for the country said yesterday.

Barbara Tuge-Ericinska said that the thousands of Polish people who had ‘fanned out across the continent’ since they joined the EU seven years ago were ‘ambitious and friendly’.

‘Since Poland joined the EU, we have proved our mobility in the spirit of the Polish people,’ she said. ‘They seem to go to some very different places, places we had never visited before.

‘They pack their backpacks and are open-minded, and go with friendliness in their hearts.’

The Ambassador is in Jersey to officially open the Polish consulate at Ogier House today and to present Wanda Adam with her nomination as Honorary Consul for Poland.

‘I have been very impressed by Jersey’s natural beauty and I wish I could take a little bit of it home with me,’ said Ms Tuge-Ericinska. ‘I like the beauty of the Island and the friendliness of the people.’
She also said that the new Consul had a role to play in educating Islanders about Poland and its culture. ‘The Polish Consul is very important for us,’ she said. ‘The Polish community here appreciates the presence of the Consul, who can promote Poland to people in Jersey.’
Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur will talk to the Ambassador, who is staying at Government House, about developing a relationship between the two jurisdictions. ‘I think it is very important to forge closer links,’ said Ms Tuge-Ericinska. ‘There are around 3,000 Polish people in Jersey, which is quite a big part of the community, and through their presence, Jersey people can learn more about our country.’
These are exciting times for Poland as it prepares to take on the presidency of the EU, on a six-month rotational basis, for the first time during its seven-year membership of the organisation.
‘We are looking forward to taking over the presidency from our Hungarian friends,’ the Ambassador said. ‘We hope to be a visible and
ambitious presence working within the framework of the Lisbon Treaty.’
She added that she was looking forward to meeting members of Jersey’s Polish community at today’s opening of the consulate. ‘I will be listening very carefully to what they have to tell me,’ she said.